


Freefall

by TheSofterGentlerMe



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Comfort No Hurt, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Post-Season/Series 05 Finale, She-Ra Fluff Bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25550431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSofterGentlerMe/pseuds/TheSofterGentlerMe
Summary: Catra and Adora have been married for years and it's time for them to take a trip for their anniversary. After having been away from space for years, they decide a weekend in orbit should be perfect.A fic for the She-Ra Fluff Bang
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), catradora - Relationship
Comments: 18
Kudos: 55





	Freefall

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Darla, Turn Off Artifical Gravity](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/657055) by Inchorent-Orca. 



> Shall we? 
> 
> Work inspired by "Darla, Turn Off The Artificial Gravity" by Inchorent-Orca from Tumblr

“We’ve reached the agreed-upon orbit, Administrator Adora,” Darla responded.

“Thanks, Darla,” Adora replied as she stood from the command chair. “No communications expect emergencies as we agreed upon, please.” 

“Certainly, Administrator Adora,” Darla responded and the little globe disappeared and it was silent in the command deck. Catra walked up to Adora from where she’d sat during the takeoff and gave a contented sigh as she took Adora’s hand.

“How long has it been since we’ve been to space?” Catra said as they looked at Etheria passing under them and the stars over all of it. 

“Last time was when we brought Finn up a little after the adoption,” Adora said.

“That long?” Catra said in disbelief.

“I think so,” Adora said. 

“Well, we’ve really settled down, haven’t we?” Catra said as they slowly wandered through the ship enjoying the quiet together. 

Adora laughed as she said, “Yeah, the last time we did anything remotely dangerous was when the Star Siblings showed up and thought the Waste would be a good place to hang out.” 

“Let’s be fair, it wasn't dangerous for them,” Catra laughed. “The danger was in dealing with the inhabitants who thought they were easy bait.” 

They both laughed at the memory as they walked into the galley. During their trips traveling around the universe with Bow and Glimmer, the room had become the social hub of the ship and it just seemed the right place to begin their vacation. Catra began rummaging through the stores they had on board. 

“Yes! Here it is!” Catra said as she pulled out a tray. 

“Here what is?” Adora said when she’d fallen back into the couch that sat to the side of the dining table. 

“This was the tray we had our wedding cake on,” Catra said as she held up the simple silver tray with the symbol of Bright Moon on the center. 

“How do you know that’s the one we used? It looks like any other Bright Moon serving tray,” Adora said as she sat up a little to look.

Catra grinned and flipped it around to the back where a small heart with a C and an A inside it was roughly cut into the silver. 

“Did you have someone do that just to show me all these years later?” Adora said as her heart fluttered a little. 

“Nope! Why bother when I can just do it myself?” Catra said as she flexed out her claws. “I notched the handle here so I’d be able to find it after the honeymoon. Course, it took longer than I expected and I figured I’d just show you on our first anniversary but…”

Adora laughed and said, “Yeah, I remember that, we weren’t even on Etheria that time.” 

“Then the next year I think we weren’t at Bright Moon and then it was one thing and then another for a couple of years after and it left my mind and then I remembered,  _ finally _ , when we decided to take this trip for this anniversary, and went through the kitchen to find it. Then I couldn’t and we had to go to the Kingdom of Snows for that thing right before we left so I asked Glimmer to try and I think she even had General Juliet involved at some point but she told me that they’d put it on board right before we boarded,” Catra said as she walked over, sat down beside Adora and handed her the tray. 

“Well thank you, Catra,” Adora said as she looked at the tray and remembered their wedding day. It’d been so wonderful. So many people had shown up, invited and uninvited, to see them that they’d ended up shifting it outdoors to a large field near the palace at the last minute so everyone could see the ceremony. Adora had picked a simple dress and Catra had looked stunning in a suit. She remembered walking arm and arm with her down the impromptu aisle in the field, Melog trotting in front of them with a flower basket in their mouth. 

When they got to the arbor covered in flowers and ivy that Angella stood under, she began to sing the traditional wedding ceremony song of Bright Moon in a high and clear voice that reached the very back of the field. Adora could still hear it in her head with its lines about that they were promising before friends and family that they would hold their spouse sacred, love them with all their heart, to support them with all their wits, care for them with all their strength, be brave for them when they couldn’t, through night and day, until the end of all their days and it was  _ beautiful _ because while they had heard it before, it was still special because it was for them. So Adora remembered being confused when Angella reached what was supposed to be the end but continued with one new verse. 

“Remember all of these things because all of them tie into love and may love ever be undying, for as shown by the two before me, love can save the universe,” Angella sang.

Adora and Catra had been smiling and fighting back tears as they looked at each other through the ceremony but with that last line the dam burst and the tears flowed and they didn’t waste a moment in getting to the kiss that sealed their marriage. The crowd was silent as they realized what had been said for a single heartbeat as the two embraced and kissed and then they were all on their feet, cheering and whooping. 

“You ok?” Catra asked as Adora turned the tray over a few times, deep in memory. 

“I’m wonderful,” Adora said with a smile. “We’re eating all our meals off of this for the trip.” 

Catra smiled and said, “Well I had intended just to serve a cake off of it but I like your idea better. Let’s do that.” 

“So what’s the plan?” Adora said. 

“I say we sit on this couch for the next three days and only leave to use the bathroom,” Catra said. 

Adora laughed as Catra flopped backwards beside her on the couch and the two stretched out on the couch to cuddle. “I believe your plan has merit.”

“My plans always have merit,” Catra said with a smug air.

“So that time you challenged Netossa to no holds barred volleyball and you cracked two of your fingers trying to spike the ball through the net she made to catch it, that was a good plan?” Adora said with a smile. 

“Of course it was! Would have worked too if I’d got a better angle on it,” Catra said. “Besides, it’s not like you didn’t heal me immediately.”

“I think you calculating She-Ra being able to heal into your plans might not be the best idea,” Adora laughed. 

Catra just grinned and stuck her tongue out at Adora. The rest of the day passed quietly, each of them taking turns reading a book to the other, and contrary to Catra’s stated plan, they actually did get off the couch and played cards for a while. Catra made sure to wrap herself up in a blanket as she’d learned to do long ago because Adora had once pointed out that while Catra wasn’t a bad card player, her ears and tail had a tendency to give away her hands. Melog passed in and out of the room as they prowled the ship on their own timeline. Later that night, they sat together in the command chair and watched the stars going past while Melog lounged behind them.

“I wonder what Finn is up to tonight?” Catra said quietly as Adora ran her hands through Catra’s hair. 

“Probably trouble,” Adora said with a laugh. 

“Yeah, who would have thought that they’d be such a handful?” Catra said. 

“Well their first couple of years was rough before we adopted them but, more importantly, think of all of the people who we raised them around,” Adora said with a laugh.

“Well and we raised them too,” Catra said with a grin.

“You think we did okay?” Adora said, suddenly serious. 

Catra got very quiet and still for a moment and then said, “Yeah, I think we did. I mean, I say they’re a handful but I love them so much and I think we managed to give them a childhood where we really didn’t get to have one. They’ll be on their own in a few years and I think they’re going to do just fine, whatever they decide to do.” 

Adora kissed the top of Catra’s head and said, “You really do a good job with them.” 

Catra purred a moment before saying, “Really, it’s you. I just fumble along trying my best.” 

“No, it really is you. You’re amazing, Catra. Every day you do so well and I just try to follow your lead,” Adora said. 

Catra stood up from Adora’s lap and leaned forward towards Adora in the command chair and placed her hands on either arm. She quietly whispered, “How about we just both admit that we’re both doing okay and we kiss instead?” 

Adora nodded with a smile and in the silence under the stars they kissed. 

The next morning, as they sat down for breakfast, Adora smiled as she placed a box on the table. “Now I know we said no gifts this year but…,”

She trailed off as she saw Catra smile and put a box down herself. 

“Yeah, if you’re going to do that then maybe you shouldn’t get Bow to help you find a gift. He’s terrible at keeping secrets,” Catra said. 

“He better not have told you what it was,” Adora said.

“Nope, I couldn’t get that out of him but when I noticed you two disappeared for a day I figured something was up and, how do I say, leaned on him a little,” Catra said, leaving out the part that Bow took all of a minute before he spilled his guts that he and Adora had been out anniversary shopping. 

“Well I wasn’t trying to pull anything, I really just had a great idea and thought Bow could give me a hand with it,” Adora said as she pushed it across the table. 

“Oh, I’m not mad. Honestly, I’m a little impressed you still think you can be devious after all these years,” Catra said as she pushed hers over as well. 

“So do we open these at the same time?” Adora said.

“Of course not! I want to see your face but because you were so devious and tried to trick your kind and long suffering wife, I’m opening mine first,” Catra said as she looked at the simply wrapped box. 

Adora snorted a little at that and watched as Catra unsheathed a claw and ran it through the paper, parting it cleanly. She then carefully pulled the box apart but Adora had wrapped it carefully, making sure that it didn’t have any identifying marks showing through. Catra looked up at her as she started to part the tissue paper. 

“Wait a minute, is this…” Catra said as she pulled a large tracker pad out of the paper. The pad was sleek silver and had the tiny cupcake logo of Dryl-made computers on the back. 

“Whatever you’re about to say it is, it probably isn’t that. I took Bow with me to see Entrapta. I remembered you’ve been talking about going digital in your artwork so I had the two of them talk it out and make the most up to date thing they could. They said a bunch of stuff I didn’t really follow and you can ask Bow yourself later but the short is that it’s one of the top of the top systems on Etheria,” Adora said with a grin.

Catra just looked at the tracker pad in her hands and wiped a tear away as she smiled and said, “I’d say it’s too much but let’s be honest, if Entrapta had a hand in making it, there is a pretty decent chance this thing may explode on me. Seriously though, thank you. I love it. Now open yours!”

Adora smiled as she tore into her present and pretty soon was holding a brass sextant in her hand. As she turned it over and looked at it she frowned just a little.

“Catra, where did you get this?” she said slowly as she looked at little details. 

“Now it’s my turn to tell you I enlisted one of our friends. Glimmer helped me. I wanted to get you something to help you with your mapping but honestly nothing I thought of fit or you already have. We were talking about it and she remembered that this,” Catra said gesturing at the instrument, “was down in the Bright Moon historical archives. Said the records mentioned it was an old navigation device that was also used in mapping. I saw it and thought you’d love it and was going to have someone make it but she said they had others and she was fine with letting you have it.”

“Catra, do you know how old this is? You use it to observe a star’s position to determine your location. It pretty much has to predate the First One’s coming to Etheria!” Adora said in a bit of shock. “Thank you! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this! Now I feel bad though! I only got you a tablet!” 

Catra scooted around the table to give Adora a hug and a kiss, “Well good news then because it’s not a competition. I really love what you got me!” 

Adora hugged her back, “I’m glad. I love mine too. Thank you again!” 

Adora carefully packed away the sextant and then walked over to the shelves in the room. She opened up one and pulled out a large book. 

“Well, hopefully I was devious enough that you didn’t notice this one coming on board,” Adora said as she held the book up and sat down on the couch. 

“Is that our scrapbook?” Catra said in surprise.

“It is! I added in a few pages and thought I’d show you,” Adora said. 

“OK, now I want to know how you got that here because I swear I saw it on the shelf when we left,” Catra said. 

“Well, your ‘not-devious’ wife had a fake one made,” Adora said. “That’s what’s sitting on the shelf back home right now.” 

“OK, so you’re a little devious. It must have rubbed off from me,” Catra said as she came over and sat down behind Adora. Adora leaned back into her and opened the book. The first pages were of them right after the Heart, young, happy, and in love. Shots of them at parties, shots of them helping rebuild, shots of them with their friends, and then shots of them as they got ready to go on their road trip. 

Then the road trip with all the places they visited and the craziness of their adventures and the quiet of shipboard life all laid out on the pages. One that made them both laugh was where Catra had made a dish with Bright Moon Life Peppers in it and the picture was of the four of them in various states of distress as they all tried to quell the heat from them. That section ended with a picture of Angella, newly freed from the void, as she lifted Micah into the air and the love and happiness on their faces absolutely screamed off the page.

The next pages were them settling into their post-war life. Still happy and in love but a little older, the pictures showed them setting up their home and starting to do work they liked. One picture showed Adora and Catra holding up a copy of Adora’s first official map, made from the first full survey of the Crimson Waste that Adora had conducted. Another showed Catra leaning over a drawing desk, face set in concentration, hair pulled back into a ponytail, as she worked on designing Glimmer’s official mural for the Bright Moon palace. There were also pictures of their next Princess Prom and parties and dinners at their home. 

“I remember that night,” Catra said pointing at one of a room full of people that had an older Frosta sitting in the corner deep in conversation with a satyr woman. “I don’t think I ever saw Frosta so giggly before. She fell hard for her.” 

“I remember that. They both fell hard for each other, I think. Didn’t we find them asleep in the backyard by the firepit the next morning?” Adora said.

“Yep, that was that night. Said they stayed up watching the stars and passed out holding hands in our lawn chairs. They really were a cute couple,” Catra said with a smile. “I’m glad they stayed friends after the break up. In fact, I think she’s officiating the wedding for Frosta and her fiances next year.” 

Catra reached over Adora’s shoulder and flipped the page and there was a picture of her, Finn, and Adora. It was taken as a selfie on their living room couch, with Adora holding the camera out. Finn sat between the two, small and with a nervous, wild look in their eye. Adora and Catra grinned ear to ear in the photo. They stopped and were quiet for a moment. 

Catra ran a finger down the edge of the photo and said, “What was this? Three weeks after we had found them and brought them home?” 

“Couldn’t have been much more than that,” Adora said. “Because their fur is still so short from cutting all the mats out and getting it evened up. I think they still wouldn’t eat around other people and we were leaving their food in front of their bedroom door. Heck, this is probably the first time they trusted us enough to stay out in the rest of the house for any length of time.” 

The next few photos were Finn but a little older, some of them playing, some of them curled up asleep on either Catra and Adora, each one with them looking a little more confident, a little happier, and with less of the wild, nervous look. Then came a whole page with a copy of the adoption decree, signed by Queen Glimmer, and on the opposite page a picture of the three of them in the throne room standing together smiling and holding the decree up for the camera. 

Adora sniffed a little as she wiped back a tear and said, “You know, I never thought I’d be a mother at all. Never really thought about it, never really wanted it but I’m glad we found them. I’m glad we could give them a home and raise them and be their mothers.” 

Catra said, “I know what you mean. Never really wanted it either. Figured I’d screw it up too bad. I mean come on, our only parental figure wasn’t exactly a model to follow.” 

Adora laughed a little, “Well it’s a model of what not to do.” 

“True!” Catra said. “Remind me to thank Angella and Micah the next time we see them. They really were there for us, especially in those early days.” 

“I agree,” Adora said. “We’ll have a dinner again.”

Catra groaned good naturedly. “Another one?” 

“We haven’t had one in months!” Adora protested. 

Catra kissed Adora on the back of the head and said, “I know. I’m just teasing you, goofball.” 

Adora shut the book and turned to give Catra a kiss. “Well just for that, you’re gonna be planning it.” 

Catra pumped a fist and said, “Yes! I’m ordering take out and we’re sitting around the living room eating then.” 

Adora laughed and said, “If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do.” 

She opened the book again and the next few pages were the ones Adora had added. They were of Finn more grown up. It had pictures like their first stage appearance at their school, holding up a trophy they’d won for a dramatic reading competition, and one of the latest ones was of their first date. 

“I was so sure they were going to be embarrassed of us for this but they really don’t have that, do they?” Adora said. 

“What shame or embarrassment?” Catra laughed. “In both cases, no. But I’d want them to be no other way.”

“Same,” Adora said as she shut the book.

Later as they sat around the galley, Catra was fiddling with her present when she looked up and saw Adora writing in a leatherbound notebook. Catra narrowed her eyes dramatically and said, “I know you’re not doing work on our anniversary trip.” 

Adora looked up from where she was writing and said, “No, this isn’t the work notebook. Are you kidding? I’d never take a leatherbound book into the field. Do you have any idea how quickly it’d get ruined? I’ll never forget those two weeks I spent in southern Plumeria last year. It. Never. Stopped. Raining. If I hadn’t had waterproof everything for equipment it’d have been a wasted trip. I’m just updating my personal journal.” 

Catra nodded. They’d both started doing that at Perfuma’s suggestion years ago when they’d sought help and it had been helpful, for a while at least. Catra hadn’t kept up with it and had turned to her art instead. However, Adora had kept at it faithfully and there were several boxes of them at home. Catra had been tempted a time or two to look at them but never with any kind of serious intent. They were private and she wouldn’t dream of violating that privacy. Catra also worried what she might find in there. She was happy to let it be. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to tease Adora a little about it. 

“If I remember that’s the trip you came back with several different interesting moulds and fungi growing on you and your stuff. And I imagine you’re putting down what an awesome wife I am in there?” Catra said.

Adora laughed and said, “I’ll read it to you if you want.” 

Catra stopped for a moment. Adora had never offered anything like that before. 

“Ummm, sorry, I was just kidding,” Catra said. 

“I know you were but I’m serious. If you want to know, I’ll read it to you,” Adora replied. 

Catra hesitated for a moment before saying quietly, “Yeah, I think I do want you to.” 

Adora smiled and picked up the notebook and started reading, “Sometimes I’m still surprised where we ended up. It’s a beautiful wish that came true and is still coming true. Sitting here in Mara’s Dream on our anniversary, I’m watching her fiddle with her tracker pad and I feel so happy and content in this basic moment that I catch my breath. I’ve felt for years it can’t last, that it’s a dream or a fairy tale that I’ll wake from, but it just keeps lasting and lasting and I’m the luckiest person to have her with me as it does.”

Catra sat silent for a moment before she grinned and said, “I love you and that’s beautiful but it doesn’t really say that.” 

Adora silently stood and walked over and sat the book down in front of Catra and pointed to the words under the date and time. Catra read them and looked up at Adora with a smile and tears.

“The luck is all mine. I am so happy with you and this is going to last. Do you think I’m going to let go now? Or ever? Do you think I’ll let anyone or anything take you from me or tear us apart?” Catra said as she took Adora’s hand. “It’s not happening. You. Me. Forever.” 

They embraced fiercely. Adora whispered back to her, “Forever.”

Later in the evening, because it was their last night onboard before they went home the next day, they’d agreed to meet on the command deck. Adora stood a little awkwardly looking out at the stars as she waited for Catra to arrive. She wore her old red jacket, cleaned and pressed for the occasion over a white shirt and in black pants and boots. The only adornment Adora wore was a thin gold crown. She fidgeted a little because what they were about to do, they hadn’t done in years and she was worried that she’d mess it up. 

“Hey, Adora,” Catra said from behind her. 

Adora turned around to see Catra leaning against the door frame. 

“Is that…,?” Adora started to say before stopping.

“My wedding suit? No,” Catra said with a smile. “But it is one that I had a tailor in Salineas make to match it.” 

“Maybe I should have worn a dress,” Adora said with a frown. “I feel a bit underdressed.”

“Don’t be,” Catra said. “I just thought it’d be a nice touch. Besides, this? What we’re about to do? You really want to deal with all that fabric drifting everywhere?” 

Adora laughed and said, “No, you’re right. That’d be a mess. Well, are you ready?” 

“Of course,” Catra said. 

“Darla,” Adora said. “We’re ready when you are.”

“Thank you, Administrator Adora,” Darla said. “Program will commence at the end of a ten count.” 

As Darla began to count down, Adora and Catra stood up straight and looked at each other from opposite sides of the room. As the count reached zero, a slow but insistent song began and the main lights lowered while other multicolored lights and holograms flickered around the room. The two began to step slowly in time to the music as they began to circle the room, never taking their eyes off the other. As they moved, they started to close the gap in a slow spiral and the music began to gain a sense of urgency. Then, as the music suddenly shifted into something faster and more electronic, like a waltz, the two leapt towards the other. Right as they tensed to do so, Darla dropped the artificial gravity enough that their leap had real height and they met over the top of the command chair, Catra catching Adora’s outstretched hand in hers with her other arm wrapping around Adora’s back, and as they circled in a dance position in the low gravity Darla slowly brought it back so that they alighted on the top of the command chair, perfectly posed and dropping into a dip. 

They both grinned as the gravity once again dropped as Catra lifted Adora and spun her into the air. As she rose into the air, Adora swept her arms out as she twirled and Catra noticed that Darla was enclosing Adora in a hologram that draped her in multiple ghostly skirts flaring out in all the colors of the rainbow. They flickered away like drops of water and slowly disappeared as Adora slowed the spin and came falling back for Catra to gently catch her. As she alighted on the command chair with Catra, they leaned backwards, their only support keeping them from falling being each other’s hand in the other’s. 

As Adora pulled Catra up, she continued to lean backwards and at the moment that Catra would have caused her to topple, Darla cut the gravity back again and they both went backwards off the chair with a simple little twist that propelled their feet over their head in a flip and as they started to come upright again, Darla returned gravity for them to land lightly on the deck and Adora spun Catra out on her arm and then pulled her back in. 

“I love you,” Adora said as she pulled Catra in close and they swayed to the music. 

“I love you too,” Catra said through her purrs. 

With that they began to glide across the floor each seamlessly trading off the lead in the dance as Darla threw more holographic streamers of colored light around the room. They jumped in time to the gravity cutting off for long graceful curves across the room as they spun in midair. The room was filled with laughter as they moved. Finally, the music settled back down to the slow but insistent music of the beginning and they slowly drew apart and circled each other, hand outstretched to the other’s hand, finger tips barely touching, and as the music quietly came to an end they gently bowed towards the other. 

Joy bubbled up as both laughed and came together in a tight embrace. 

“I guess we still got it,” Catra said with a grin. 

“I guess we do,” Adora said as she pulled Catra in for a kiss. 

The next morning the two made sure everything was packed away and ready for them to go back home. They both walked hand in hand onto the command deck. 

“We need to get back up more often,” Catra said. “Let’s bring the whole crew next time.” 

Adora smiled as she said, “Sounds like a plan. Ready to go home and continue on with forever?” 

“Absolutely,” Catra said.

“Fabulous!” Adora said as she hugged Catra close for a moment before they both sat down in their chairs, hands interwoven. “Darla, take us home, please.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and thank you in particular to Sol from the fluff bang server for being my beta for this!
> 
> This is the first time I've participated in a bang and I have to say, it was fun. When I saw that one was being put together, and that it was fluff, I knew I had to give it a whirl for the experience if nothing else because fluff isn't what I think my normal stuff is like. The work itself was inspired by a picture done by Inchorent-Orca from Tumblr called, "Darla, Turn Off The Artificial Gravity." I had previously seen it and when I was trying to think of something for the bang, it came across my dash again and the dance sequence suggested itself to me and then the rest worked its way into place.


End file.
